Mail-chute.



PATENTBD MAY 15, 1906.

J. W. GTLBR. MAIL UHUTE. APPLmATzov rum) AUG. a, sms.

2 SHEETB-BHEET 1' vNu. 820,34.

i i PATENTED MAY sa.

MAIL GEU'TB. APrLmAflGs ::Lp sw. s. n05.

a :annaman o vertical sections,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Bpeoification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 1906.

Application filed August 9, 19Q5. Baria! No. 273,348-

Ta @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J osnfn WARREN OUT- LER, of Ro'chcster, in the county of Monroe and State of NewV York, have invented cer- 5 tain new and useful improvements ii Mail- Chute's; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description oi the same, reference being had to the ae: coinpanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the rcference-numerals marked thereon.

My present inrention relates to windows or sight-apert es' for receptacles or cond uits, such as nailfziiutes, through which articles are iassed, embodying generally a tubular com uit extending vertically through Va plurality of floors in a building and opening at its lower end into a mail box or receptucle, and has for its object to p ovide a transparcnt art or panel for permitting theinspection of t e interior of such chutes and of such nature that not oni majyT the manufacture of the device be fae' itated, but the loss from breakage of the glass be reduced, and relatively sinali pieces of this expensive portion of the apparatus employed.

The invention has for its further object to apply the glass panels in such manner that not only is their application facilitated, but the production of, ledges or interstices into which the corners `of descending mail-matter mi ht lodge is obviatd.

n carrying out my invention in the pre fei-red form the transparent lass panels are provided with inclined rouned or bevcled edges and are applied in such manner that a portion of the panels near the edges pro'ects inwardly beyond the inner wall of the c ute or conduit in order that the descending mailniatter will not lodge or catch therecn.

o these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully explained, the novel features being .5 pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

ln the accompanying drawn a front elevation of provided with m s, Figure 1 is a portion o a mail-chute improvements. Fig. 2 is a view thereof. Fig. 3 is a horizontal Sectional View. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are front views of a modified form, and Fig. 7 is a horizontal View on the line :c x of Fig. 6.

Similar referencemumerals in the several 5 figures` indicate similar parts.

7lnle my invention isAapplicable to any oi'` the forms of mail-chu tcs in general use, I prcfer to employ it, as shown, in connection with chutes of contained in Letters Patent No. 758,128, granted to mc April 26, 1904, each chute-secticn bein com osed of a rear part or channel 1, forma of s lect metal and having at the forward portion narrow inwardly-projecting flanges 2, the front of the chutc being referably composed of a door, panel, or p ate 3, either removable or stationary, preferably of sheet metal, and provided at the side edges with forwardly, outwardly, and inwardly extending flanges 4, adapted to fit over the flange 2 on the rear section in such manner that the joint between the abutting edges of the parts of the chute are rotected, so that the corners or ed es of mai -matter descending fw'il not be lia le to be caught.

11 indicates the usual mail-receiving aperture, located in the present instance in a chute-scction having two panels of glass.

The front 3 of the chute is provided with preferably a plurality of apertures for the recaption of the transparent panels or windows '5, said panels being each composed of a piece of plate or niolded lass with its edges beveled or inclined inwarly or toward the center, either at a sharp angle or gradually rounded, and the size of said lass pieces is such relative to the openings in the said front that the inner faces Will reject inwardly beyond the ,inner wall of 51s chiite or receptacle, as shown' in Figs. 2 and 3, so that mail-matter will not lodge thereon, nor Will the edges thereof catch in the joint' between the panels and front of the chute or receptacle. These glass panels are also preferably inclined or rounded laterally of the chute at their upper ortions, as shown, to afford the least ossigle obstruction to deseendin letters. hile these glass panels may be hd in position by any suitable means, l prefer, if they are relatively la e; to provide se arate holding devices, suc i as frames 6, with their inner ed es rounded over, as shown, projecting over t ie outer surface of the margin of the glass and bearing on the edges oni Y, said frames being secure at Vtheir outer e ges by any suitable means, such as screws or rivets 7, the inner heads of the latter beinfl countersunk an substantially flush with t e inner surface of the front plate in order that they may form no obstruction to the descending inailunatter. This feature of placing the smaller surface of the panel in a slightly larger aperture the general nature of thosev IIO is advantageous whatever may be the means for hol ing the panel, as the latter is self-seating, and the amount its inner surface projects is inimaterial.

`When the number of glass panels in the front of the chute suiiicently large to Warrant it, instead of for'ning a holdng-frame for each anel l provide a sccuring metal plate or raine 8, having apertures corresponding to those in the front 3, with the head or iiangc 9 extending over the edges of the outer surface of the glass, this more or less elastic portion formed by the bead serving to hold the glass panels firmly in place without excessive pressure sufficient to break the edges and Without the employment of paeking material. This metalhc plate may be secured to the front at intervals by rivets 10 or other suitable means, their inner heads being countersunk, as before described, to prevent obstructions in the chute.

It is immatei'ial, so far as ny invention is concerned, what the shape or number of the glass ianels is, as they may be polygonal or roun ed, as shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7; but, as stated it is prefcrable that the upper portion, With Which the dcseending m all-matter is liable ,to come in contact, should be curved or inclined, as shown.

I claim as my invention-- l. The combination with a mail-receptacle forming a assage for postal matter, and provided wit an a erture therein, of` a panel fitted Within sai aperture having its upper edge inclined and its inner surface below said ed e projecting inwardly beyond the inner wa l of the reccptacle.

2. rl`he combination with a mail-chute provided with an aperture therein, of a panel fitted within said a erture having its upper edge inclined inwar ly toward the interior of the chute, and its inner surface below saided re extending inwardly beyond the inner Wsill of the chute.

3. The combination with a mail-receptacle provided with an aperture in one, of. its walls, of a panel fitted within said aperture having its upper ed ge adjacent said aperture extending inwardly beyond the inner surface of said wall and inclined downwardly toward the interior of the receptacle and also inclined downward ly toward the side of the receptacle. 4. The combination with a mail-receptarle provided with an aperture in one ofits walls,

of a Janel fitted within said aperture having its edges inclined to Ward the center of the inner l'acc of the panel and with its inner surface smaller and its outer surface larger than the apcrture, and a holding device engaging the outor fave of the panel to secure it in position.

5. The combination with a mail-reccptacle having a plurality of apertures in one wall thereof, of a corresponding plurality of transparent panels for said apcrtures having their edges inclined, and their inner faces being the smaller and arranged inwardly beyond the wall of the rereptacle and a securing-frame engaging th l outer faces of the panels near their edges.

6. The combination with a mail-chute having n aperture in the Wall thereof, of a transar nt panel for said aperture having the eveled cd es and arranged with its smaller surface .vit fin the chute, and a securing device engaging the outer surface of the paneh 7. The combination with a mail-chute having an aperture in the wall thereof, of a transparent panel for said aperture having the eveled ed es and arranged with its smaller surface wit in the chute and a frame secured to the chute and having the curved flanges at the inner side for engaging the outer surface of the anel.

8. c combination with a mail-chute having a plurality of apertures in the wall thereof, of a plurality of transparent anels for said apart-ure provided with beve ed edges and having their smaller inner surfaces near their edges arranged Within the chute, and a securing-frame or the anels having apertures and the flan es at t e edges thereof extending over an engaging the outer surfaces of the panels.

9. The combination with a mail-chute having a plurality of apertures in the wall thereof, of a plurality of transparent panels for said apertures provided wth beveled. edges and having their smaller in'ner surfaces near said edges arranged within the chute and a securing-frame for the anels having apertures and. the curved anges at the edges thereof extendin over and engaging the outer surfaces of t e anels.

JOSEPH ARREN CUTLFR. Witnesses REGINALD G FLACK, M. BRAGDON.

IOO 

